CARETAKER-manager Mick Halsall will lean heavily on experience when Walsall seek to end a turbulent week on a high with victory over Scunthorpe at Bescot tomorrow.

Paul Merson's sacking on Monday followed the Saddlers' descent into a position of great concern, just a single point above the League One relegation line.

Against a Scunthorpe side right down in the relegation scrap with them, Walsall desperately need to react positively to a fraught week. It's a time for cool heads. And, reckons Halsall, older heads.

"Experience could be vital at the moment," he said. "And that's certainly something I'm considering in respect of the players I put on the pitch.

"What we have to be is very positive without being silly and running all over the place. We have to be positive from the start and that's what we've been drilling into the players since Monday.

"The lads have been a bit quiet and that's what tends to happen when you get events like we've had this week. Players tend to go into their shells a little bit, but we've just tried to change it slowly throughout the week.

"Initially they were pretty quiet but we had a five minute meeting on Tuesday morning, although I think they had all heard about the manager leaving.

"I just made it clear that we had got to get on with things and start again because the most important thing is trying to get something out of the Scunthorpe game."

It's likely to be the first of two games under Halsall's temporary control. To appoint a new manager on Monday with a visit to runaway League One leaders Colchester looming on Tuesday would risk starting the new era with a depressing result.

An appointment is expected in the middle of next week when Halsall will return fully to the head of youth role he relishes.

The former Blues player is an ideal stopgap though - experienced, knowledgeable and respected by the players. And he will have key players back from injury.

Ian Roper will return for his first start since January and Paul Devlin will make his home bow three weeks after getting injured on his debut at Chesterfield.